Second Thoughts
by moviescript Ending
Summary: Seth and Summer both have second thoughts on their wedding day. SS Three-parter.
1. The Brothers

**Disclaimer: **Once again, I sadly own nothing.

**Summary: **Seth and Summer both have second thoughts on their wedding day. **SS Three-parter.**

**Author's Note: **Wow. I'm actually not doing a one-shot. This story is a three-parter, with the first part Seth and Ryan, the second Marissa and Summer, and lastly, the wedding. Enjoy.

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_"A warning sign  
It came back to haunt me, and I realized  
That you were an island and I passed you by  
And you were an island to discover"_

It wasn't that he was scared. No, no. That wasn't the reason at all. If anything, Seth Cohen felt as if he could stare down Fear right in the face. He didn't feel fear. Not at all.

What he did feel was uncertainty. Was this the best thing to do? Was he making a good choice? He was twenty-three years old. With the hit of Atomic County just in his junior year of high school, he successfully managed the comic book in his latter years, striving off of its success and earning a good living for himself. If anything were to fail, Seth made it sufficient to hold several back-up plans; many more comic book pitches, various plans to maintain his wealth status.

_'At least I know we'll be financially secured,'_ he thought shamelessly. Picking up his leather-crafted dress shoes, Seth sighed as he sat upon his hotel bed. His thoughts, all jumbled into one ball, raged in his head, bouncing themselves off the corners of his brain, enticing thoughts of "what ifs" and "what nows".

Ryan came bouncing into the hotel room, a grin plastered on his face, his attire crisp and clean and perfect for the upcoming event. He hardly noticed his brother's distraught aura.

"Hey, man. You ready yet? The wedding's gonna take place in, like, thirty minutes." Seth stared up at him from his place on the bed, his eyes shot with confusion and a feeling of dread.

Okay, so maybe he was feeling fear. Just a _little_ bit.

Ryan noticed the uncertainty radiating from Seth's face and his bright smile slowly dissolved into one of puzzlement. He sat down next to Seth, who brought back his attention to the shoelaces he was previously tying.

"Are you okay?" Ryan asked. He placed a comforting hand on Seth's shoulder and was only met with an answer of silence.

_'This is so unlike Seth. I thought he would be bouncing around this place like Goofy on crack. Not like this_…

The silence was shattered, however, when Seth shakily spoke, "Am I making the right decision, Ryan?"

Ryan looked at his brother, eyebrows knitted. "What makes you think you are?" Seth shook his head, a quiet sigh escaping his lips. He looked back at Ryan.

"I don't know; it's just…This is my future, you know? Right now, I'm giving up my whole life to share with another person. And, I don't know, what if things go wrong later on? What'll happen then? I mean, I don't expect you to know all the answers, but will you help me out, buddy? I just wanna know if I'm making the right choice."

Ryan bit back a smile. Seth was feeling the worse case of cold feet, something so natural for grooms-to-be.

"And what are _you_ smiling about, Mr. Atwood?"

Ryan smiled. "Okay, Seth. Do you even hear yourself? You sound like every other groom-to-be on his wedding day. You know," his voice went into a fervent squeak as he tried to imitate other men, "'I'm so scared, blah blah blah, what if my life goes wrong, blah blah'"

Seth wrinkled his nose in obvious disgust. "Okay, imitation is definitely not your forte." Ryan's reassurance made his lips quirk in a small smile.

Ryan's bright smile slowly died and he placed his hand on Seth's back once again. "Look, Seth. I've known you for so many years, and I _know _you. You always have this way of making a choice, and although you may think it had sucked, it always resurfaces to be the best thing for you. You made outrageous choices, like leaving on your boat because I had left. And, let's be honest, you were in a total state of crap when you returned. For one, you had no Summer, who had a new boyfriend. And two, your parents totally kicked your ass when you came home."

Seth smiled in remembrance. "Yeah, I know. After all the hugging and 'Welcome back, son!', they totally banned me for the PS2 for, like, a month. It was the hardest month. Ever."

Ryan laughed, a big laugh echoing from his belly. "I know! I had the best time shoving my PS2 privileges in your face. I have to say, _that_ was the best month of _my_ life." Seth snorted in laughter and hit his brother on the shoulder.

His brother continued, "And look where you are now. You totally grew up for that experience. In all seriousness, like I said, I've known you for years. And I know how you are. I mean, you've been so obsessed with this girl, since you were ten. And I knew you loved her the second I saw your eyes light up at that fashion show. Obsessed or not obsessed, you were head over heels."

Seth's eyes glistened in memory. "She looked so beautiful that night, even if then she was major uber-bitch to me. But damn, I thought that was so hot."

Ryan smirked. "And when you guys finally did go out, you bickered. You bantered. You guys gave Marissa and me the biggest headaches, like ever. And you guys were so on-and-off, that we never knew if particular moments were the official The Off or not. But behind all those petty fights, you guys made it."

Seth nodded, his fingers playing at the laces on his shoes. He looked at Ryan, the confusion in his eyes slowly drifting away.

"And I never saw you so happy when you were with her. She made the best out of you. Before she came along, I mean, I was your _only _friend. And then you had her. And I never saw you glow so much. Even when you were complaining to me about 'Oh, she said this' and 'She said that', your eyes just sparkled. Because you loved her so much."

In reassurance, Ryan gave a curt nod to Seth and began to stand up. "You may have your fears right now, but it's natural. You're never gonna get another girl like that. Seth, she's your other half. You two may give me huge headaches sometime, but I know she makes you happy. And that's what makes me take it all in stride. You'll do fine."

Seth nodded as Ryan began to exit through the door. He really did love her, with all his heart. He remembered all the times his pulse raced when she entered a room, every time he laughed when she attempted to mock him. He remembered when she wiped his tears in movies, and the way she kissed him.

He remembered the way she loved him, and smiled when he remembered that she still loved him. "I'll never stop," she declared.

With a smile, he stood up and walked out of the door, ready to face his future.


	2. The Best Friends

**Disclaimer: **Once again, I sadly own nothing.

**Summary: **Seth and Summer both have second thoughts on their wedding day. **SS Three-parter.**

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"_But right now  
Everything is turning blue  
And right now  
The sun is trying to kill the moon  
And right now  
I wish I could follow you  
To the shore of freedom  
Where no one lives"_

Summer Roberts paced around her room, her walking mimicking that of a caged tiger at the zoo. Her head hurt, her stomach was churning, and her labored breathing was coming out in short gasps.

Her best friend sat on the hotel room's bed, her eyes watching Summer as she walked to and fro, to and fro. "You know, you're gonna wear a hole into that carpet if you keep on doing what you're doing." Summer looked at her friend, her face distraught.

"Thanks for the joke, Coop, but now is _not_ the time." She threw herself on a nearby chair and brought her elbows to her knees, her face resting in her hands.

Marissa noticed her friend's lost demeanor and immediately her face softened. She moved to where Summer sat and knelt down in front of her. A hand came to rest on Summer's back, while the other lifted Summer's chin and forced it to stare at her.

Summer's eyes were glassed with unhushed tears and she bit her lip to keep them from falling. Marissa rubbed her back in an attempt of calming her down and as one lone tear traveled down the path of Summer's face, she raised her thumb to wipe it away.

"Coop," Summer whispered in a broken voice. "What if I make a horrible decision? What if Cohen and I aren't really, you know, meant to be? I'll be throwing my life away!"

Marissa rubbed small circles on Summer's back. "Sum, you're my best friend. I've known you since we were in, like, diapers. So I guess you could say I know you better than anybody does. Well, except Seth that is."

Summer looked at Marissa and listened intently at the words coming for her mouth. "And since I know you like I know myself, I know that you love this guy."

Summer's eyes fell into a downcast and Marissa, once again, raised her finger to lift up Summer's head to look at her. "I mean, at first I wondered, 'What the hell does she see in this guy?' Because let's be honest; Seth Cohen was _never_ actually on Hip Radar."

A laugh elicited itself from Summer's lips and Marissa smiled. "But then when I saw you guys together, as a couple, I got it. I understood." Summer raised herself from her position and sat straight on the chair.

"What did you understand?" she asked. Her voice deeply resembled that of a little girl's.

Marissa lifted herself off from her knees and pulled up a chair next to Summer's. "I understood why you liked him so much. Sum, he made you who you are today. When we were younger, both of us, you know, were pretty immature." Summer felt her lips quirk in a small smile as she nodded. "And, you have to admit, you were a bit of a bitch."

Summer giggled and lightly slapped Marissa on the arm. "Whatev, Coop." Marissa smiled as she continued.

"And then, ding. Here comes Cohen. And he changed you, Sum. You became who you are today. He loved you so much; he _loves_ you so much. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. It's like his puzzle of a life finally comes together. And I see how much you love him in your eyes, too. You don't get that kind of devotion all the time, Summer."

Summer nodded in realization, but worry began to fill her eyes once again. She turned to Marissa, "It's not the love I'm worried about, it's just…when we're married...I don't wanna be like my mom, Coop."

Marissa's smile turned a little bit sad and she took Summer's hands in her own. "You're not her, Sum. Who's to say that you'll leave your husband? If the love's there, there'll be no reason to leave. You do love him, don't you?"

Summer sighed. "With all my heart."

Marissa nodded in conclusion. "Then you won't have to worry about anything."

Summer face was quickly lit up with a bright smile. She leaned forward, giving Marissa a large hug. Marissa encircled her arms around her best friend, as well. "Thanks, Coop," Summer whispered. She slid herself out of Marissa's arms and stood up from her chair.

"You know, all brides need this kind of reassurance. Julia Roberts totally didn't have this kind of talk in _Runaway Bride_. She needs a Coop."

Marissa stood up as well and laughed, hitting Summer on the shoulder.

"C'mon. Let's get you married."


	3. The Love Always Prevails

**Disclaimer: **Once again, I sadly own nothing.

**Summary: **Seth and Summer both have second thoughts on their wedding day. **SS Three-parter.**

**Author's Note: **Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! Here is the final installment to the Second Thoughts trilogy. Once again, thank you!

_

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_

_"Here I am, where I've been  
I've walked a hundred miles in tobacco skin,  
And my clothes are worn and gritty.  
And I know ugliness,  
Now show me something pretty.  
I was a dumb punk kid with nothing to lose  
And too much weight for walking shoes.  
I could have died from being boring.  
As for loneliness,  
She greets me every morning."_

The procession was held in a chapel close to the beach. As the waves rocked nearby, the birds chirped in recognition, as if they had known that the wedding of Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts were to take place within minutes.

Guests had gasped in wonder as they entered the church. Thousands of blue-dyed roses were strewn all over the building. Bouquets of the same flower adorned the sides of the rows and a lush, royal blue carpet laid across the walkway for the bride and her group.

Many people from all over Newport had arrived for the joyous occasion. Many friends of the family, Seth's co-workers, and Summer's friends from her work as a fashion executive. Sitting in the front of the chapel were Sandy and Kirsten Cohen. They smiled as they looked upon seeing their two sons by the altar.

"I never knew this day would come so quickly, Sandy," whispered Kirsten. Sandy nodded, his arm nestled behind Kirsten. He gave her a squeeze of reassurance on her shoulder and turned to his wife, smiling.

"Neither did I, honey. But look at our kid. He's grown-up, and he's getting married today. To his high school sweetheart, no less. He's come a long way." Kirsten nodded, tears prickling the corners of her eyes.

Seth Cohen stood at the altar, his hands shaking, his heart pounding uncontrollably. Ryan felt Seth's nervousness, and placed a hand on his back from where he stood behind him.

"It'll be alright. Stay cool, bro." Seth looked over his shoulder to where Ryan was and gave a nod and a small smile.

"I'm cool. I'm cool." Ryan grinned and withdrew his hand.

The organ's music soon filled the air and Seth held his breath. He turned to the door where the bride would be entering and he felt his heart rate increase more than before.

Marissa entered, holding a small bouquet of roses. Her lips curved into a bright smile when she saw the state Seth was in. His knees were buckling and she could tell he was holding his breath. She looked into his eyes and nodded. Seth nodded back. He understood what her eyes were telling him.

_'Take care of my best friend,'_ they silently pleaded. Seth already knew his answer immediately.

_'Always.'_

Other bridesmaids entered, as well as bridesmen. Trey, Hailey, and Caitlin made their way down the carpet, all reassuring Seth with curt nods of their heads. They, too, believed in him.

Seth's ears pricked up when he heard the first strings of the wedding march tune. Summer had insisted on getting a string quartet for the song and she and Seth argued with the decision.

_"It'll be more romantic!" Summer argued. Seth shook his head and crossed his arms. _

_"But the chapel already comes with the organ player. Why spend, like, a thousand more dollars on the dinky quartet?" he bit back. _

Nonetheless, Summer had gotten her way, and Seth couldn't have been more happier with her decision. She was right, he mentally agreed, the quartet was more romantic and he hid a small smile as pictured he and his bride-to-be dancing to the sweet tune in the middle of the chapel, while onlookers cooed from their seats.

The doors opened and Summer stood with her father. Seth's breath caught in his throat.

She was _so_ beautiful.

Dressed in a simple strapless off-white gown, Summer glowed as she stood next to her father, her arm liked to his. She held a large bouquet of white and blue roses, the blue flowers scattered between the other white. She smiled up at her father, and as she walked she looked on at Seth, her eyes twinkling.

Seth's eyes were consumed with the image of his fiancée, his wife. _'Nothing could be as gorgeous as this moment,' _he mentally concluded.

Summer appraised Seth's appearance and blocked all thoughts about how she wanted to ravage him at that very moment. Short curls adorned his head, his tuxedo crisp and clean. His hands stood in front of him, clasped together, and by the way he was standing, he was holding his breath. She couldn't believe it, but she was holding hers as well.

As bride and groom looked at one another, all else faded away and in that moment, all second thoughts were gone.


End file.
